April 10, 2015 AT 1:00 pm

Install Linux And Access Via SSH #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

Sometimes the biggest things may come in the smallest packages. And Raspberry Pi 2 is no exception. I received my Pi 2 a few weeks ago and I have spent a significant amount of time with it. The hardware is decent enough considering its size and the cost (see my full RPi 2 review). I tried several operating systems on it and settled on the one that works the best.

You can also use it as a desktop PC, although the experience won’t be very good if you are coming from a dual core system with more than 8GB of RAM. However, it can be a very useful device for kids to learn computing or to have their own “expensive” PC to play with.

The fact is, there are more adults using this device than kids and they are doing amazing things with it.

The good news is, this upgraded hardware is powerful enough to do many things for you. If you are planning to order a Pi or if you just received one and are wondering what to do with it, this article will provide you with much-needed assistance.

Accessories you need
Raspberry Pi 2 comes with only the board and nothing else. To get started, you need the following hardware: power supply, HDMI cable, keyboard and mouse, ethernet cable or a supported WiFi dongle and a microSD card with minimum 8GB capacity.

Raspberry Pi 2 needs a 5-Volt power supply and the current (mA) depends on what hardware you are going to connect via the 4 USB ports; the more ports you use the more power it will draw. If you are going to use all the ports then 2.5 Amp is needed. I use Logitech’s bluetooth keyboard and mouse which could be connected with a bluetooth dongle. Since the keyboard and mouse are powered by batteries they don’t drain any juice from the Pi. If you are not using any extra components then you can also use the USB port of your PC to power the Pi. All you need is a microUSB cable.

As far as Internet connectivity is concerned, connecting the Pi using an ethernet cable is the best and safest thing. However in order to make it more mobile, you can also use a supported WiFi dongle. I have an Edimax dongle and it works out-of-the-box with the Raspbian OS. It may however need extra work to download drivers if you are using any other distro. If you are really going to use the Pi I also recommend getting a case for it. There are many cases on Amazon.com and other online stores.

Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!